consultants corner february-march 2014
DESCRIPTION
A Bi-Monthly e-Journal from MaGCTRANSCRIPT
Consultants’ Corner A Bi-Monthly e-Journal from
Issue 86 | Pages 1– 13 February-March 2014
A sneak peek into
the world of Cloud
Computing
3 Cloud Computing - Decoded!
An introduction to the world of Cloud Computing
6 Key terms associated with Cloud
Computing
Brief explanation to some of the important terms used in the area of Cloud Computing
8 Cloud Computing Threats and
Assurances
An insight into the risks and risk mitigation techniques practiced in the Cloud Computing environment
10 Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC)
Use of Cloud services in smartphones and mobile software applications
11
Opinion Poll result
Results of the poll for judging the best article in
the Dec 13-Jan 14 issue of Consultants’ Corner
12 Quiz Corner
12 What’s up at MaGC?
All events during December and January at MaGC and upcoming birthdays of MaGCites
In this Issue
Readers’ Corner
If you have any comment/suggestion for the editors, please
write to us at [email protected]. Your views and comments on
articles featured here are also welcome!
Sometimes when things change, they change
dramatically. This is exactly what happened with
information technology and the internet. The pace
at which it grew and stormed the human race is
nothing less than dramatic. One such storm that is
currently sweeping us is Cloud Computing. Cloud
computing has changed the way people use
software and store information. Innovations in
technology, high internet speeds and falling costs
of storage has facilitated the growth of cloud
computing in a big way.
Cloud computing as a concept is being used since
1950s and it began to spread its wings during the
telecommunication boom of the 1990s when the
telecom companies started offering Virtual Private
Network (VPN) services at lower costs. But the
breakthrough in cloud computing was made by
Amazon when they launched their cloud services
called Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the year
2006. The rest, as they say, is history. Cloud
computing has helped businesses reduce their IT
expenditure. On the other hand, it has helped
Governments offer G2C services in a cost effective
and seamless manner. And the best part about it
is we still don’t know what more is there in store
for us. In this backdrop, Cloud Computing has
been chosen as the theme for this issue. We hope
you find the articles informative and enriching.
The level of readership and coverage that
Consultants’ Corner is garnering never ceases to
amaze us. The sole reason for this growth is our
authors. The quality of the articles being published
is improving over time. We fervently thank our
authors for their zeal and commitment. But the
journey has just begun. We seek all your support
in this great and exciting journey ahead.
From the Editors
Consultants’ Corner 2
Why is it popular?
The primary reasons for the popularity of Cloud
computing are as follows:
Reduced cost: Cloud computing can reduce both
capital expense (CapEx) and operating expense
(OpEx) costs because resources are only
acquired when needed and are only paid for when
used.
Refined usage of personnel: Using cloud
computing frees valuable personnel allowing them
to focus on delivering value rather than
maintaining hardware and software.
Robust scalability: Cloud computing allows for
immediate scaling, either up or down, at any time
without long-term commitment.
Categories of Cloud computing
Cloud computing frameworks are implemented in
many flavors to suit user needs. They are primarily
categorised into three buckets as follows:
Software as a Service (SaaS) - These
applications are designed for end-users, delivered
over the web. This is an end-to-end solution
including all facets of applications, software &
hardware.
A revolution is defined as a change in the way
people think and behave that is both dramatic
in nature and broad in scope. By that
definition, cloud computing is indeed a revolution.
Cloud computing is creating a fundamental change in
computer architecture, software and tools
development, and of course, in the way we store,
distribute and consume information.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a comprehensive solution that
delivers IT as a service. It is an Internet-based
computing solution where shared resources are
provided like electricity distributed on the electrical
grid. Computers in the cloud are configured to work
together and the various applications use the
collective computing power as if they are running on a
single system.
The key flexibility of cloud computing is allocation of
resources on demand. This facilitates the use of the
system's cumulative resources, negating the need to
assign specific hardware to a task. Before cloud com-
puting, websites and server-based applications were
executed on a specific system. With the advent of
cloud computing, resources are used as an
aggregated virtual computer. This multifaceted
configuration provides an environment where
applications execute independently without regard for
any particular configuration.
The easiest way to think about cloud computing is as
doing business on the Web, therefore eliminating the
need for in-house technology infrastructure, such as
the need to purchase, run and maintain servers and
software. Unlike traditional software, which is
distributed and deployed on-premise, cloud
applications are designed for Web deployment. They
are multitenant and users share processing power
and space that is managed by the vendor.
contd on next page..
Transformation literally means going beyond
your form.
- Wayne Dyer
3 Consultants’ Corner
Cloud Computing
- Decoded!
To Cloud or not to Cloud!
Cloud Computing adoption requires cost/benefit/risk
analysis to answer questions such as
What resources should an organization move to
the cloud, if any?
What situations warrant use of cloud resources,
even for one-time situations?
Which model of access works better for the
organization—private or public?
What risks are associated with using resources on
the cloud?
Which drivers are most important to the
organization? For example is concern over the
security of data more important compared to data
accessibility from multiple locations?
Platform as a Service
(PaaS) - This is the set of
tools and services designed
to make coding and
deploying those applications
quick and efficient. The
primary target users are
Application Developers.
Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS) - Here the hardware
and software that powers it
all (Such as servers,
storage, networks, operating
systems, etc.) alone are
provided and maintained by
Vendor. The users of this
form of service are mostly
Network Architects.
An expert is a person who has few new ideas; a
beginner is a person with many.
- Albert Einstein
Consultants’ Corner 4
IaaS examples
Rackspace Cloud: provides users with access to
dynamically scalable computing and storage
resources, as well as third-party cloud applications
and tools
Well known Cloud service providers
SaaS examples
Google Apps: provides web-based office tools
such as e-mail, calendar, and document manage-
ment
Salesforce.com: provides a full customer
relationship management (CRM)6 application
Zoho.com: provides a large suite of web-based
applications, mostly for enterprise use
PaaS examples
Force.com: from salesforce.com (an SaaS
provider), provides users with a platform to build
and run applications and components bought from
AppExchange6 or custom applications
Google App Engine: provides users with a
complete development stack and allows them to
run their applications on Google‘s infrastructure
IaaS examples
Amazon Simple Storage Solution (S3): provides
users with access to dynamically scalable storage
resources
IBM Computing on Demand (CoD): provides
users with access to highly configurable servers
plus value-added services such as data storage
Microsoft Live Mesh: provides users with access
to a distributed file system; targeted at individual
use
contd on next page..
5 Consultants’ Corner
Key Drivers
A common set of key factors that drive organisations in deciding to Cloud or NOT Cloud... are given in table below:
(Source: Basics about Cloud Computing by Grace Lewis - Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University)
Risks involved
Key challenges and risks in migrating to a cloud computing environment have been tabulated below:
(Source: Basics about Cloud Computing by Grace Lewis - Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University )
Good to read!
1. Cloud Security and Privacy: An Enterprise Perspective on
Risks and Compliance - by Tim Mather
2. Cloud Computing Explained: Implementation Handbook for
Enterprises - by John Rhoton
Attribute Why it can draw an organization toward cloud computing
Availability Users have the ability to access their resources at any time through a standard internet
connection.
Collaboration Users begin to see the cloud as a way to work simultaneously on common data and
information.
Elasticity The provider transparently manages a user‘s resource utilization based on dynamically
changing needs.
Infrastructure Costs The pay-per-usage model allows an organization to only pay for the resources they need
with basically no investment in the physical resources available in the cloud. There are no
infrastructure maintenance or upgrade costs.
Mobility Users have the ability to access data and applications from around the globe.
Risk reduction Organizations can use the cloud to test ideas and concepts before making major
investments in technology.
Scalability Users have access to a large amount of resources that scale based on their demand.
Virtualisation Each user has a single view of the available resources, independently of how they are
arranged in terms of physical devices. Therefore, there is potential from a provider
perspective to serve a greater number of users with fewer physical resources.
Concern/Risk Why it can act as a barrier to cloud computing adoption
Interoperability A universal set of standards and/or interfaces have not yet been defined, resulting in a
significant risk of vendor lock-in.
Latency All access to the cloud is done via the internet, introducing latency into every communica-
tion between the user and the provider.
Platform/Language
constraints
Some cloud providers support specific platforms and languages only.
Regulations There are concerns in the cloud computing community over jurisdiction, data protection,
fair information practices, and international data transfer—mainly for organizations that
manage sensitive data.
Reliability Many existing cloud infrastructures leverage commodity hardware that is known to fail
unexpectedly.
Resource Control The amount of control that the user has over the cloud provider and its resources varies
greatly between providers.
Security The main concern is data privacy: users do not have control or knowledge of where their
data is being stored.
Praveena K R
can be reached at [email protected]
Cloudstorming
Connecting multiple cloud computing environments.
Cloudware
Software that enables creating, deploying, running, or
managing applications in the cloud. Simply put –
software on the cloud.
Consumption-based pricing model
A pricing model whereby the service provider charges
its customers based on the amount of the service the
customer consumes, rather than a time-based fee.
For example, a cloud storage provider might charge
per gigabyte of information stored. This is what makes
the cloud so popular.
External cloud
Public or private cloud services that are provided by a
third party outside the organization.
C loud comput-
ing though an
easy concept
to follow comes with its
own set of jargons. It
will be useful for you as
a consultant to know
some of the key terms
used in connection with
c l oud c om put i ng.
Whether to impress
your clients at meetings
or to flaunt your
knowledge to your
colleagues, knowledge
of these terms can
come in handy. Here is
a compilation of certain
important terms that
you get to hear and
their meanings.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A system consisting of multiple computers that
contain copies of data, which are located in different
places on the network so clients can access the copy
closest to them.
Cloud Broker
An entity that creates and maintains relationships with
multiple cloud service providers. It acts as a liaison
between cloud services customers and cloud service
providers, selecting the best provider for each
customer and monitoring the services.
Cloud Portability
The ability to move applications and data from one
cloud provider to another. Cloud portability is one of
the key considerations while selecting a service
provider. If the cloud portability is not good, be
prepared to be stuck with the service provider for a
long time.
Cloud Storage
The type and size of storage space available on the
cloud. Many cloud service providers provide options
to increase the cloud storage incrementally as your
business grows thus optimizing costs.
If you want the truth, I'll tell you the truth:
Listen to the secret sound, the real sound,
which is inside you.
- Kabir
Key terms associated with
Cloud Computing
Consultants’ Corner 6
-contd on next page..
IaaS, PaaS and SaaS have totally revolutionized the
way businesses look at IT investments by converting
more and more of the Capital Expenditure to
Operating Expenditure utilizing the power of the
Cloud.
Subscription-based pricing model
A pricing model that lets
customers pay a fee to use the
service for a particular
time period, often used for
SaaS services.
Vendor lock-in
Dependency on the
particular cloud vendor
and difficulty moving
from one cloud vendor
to another due to lack
o f s t a n d a r d i z e d
protocols, APIs, data
structures (schema), and
service models. See Cloud
Portability above.
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
A private cloud that exists within a shared or
public cloud (Example: Documan at MaGC which
is hosted on the Amazon public cloud).
As you can now see Cloud Terminology need not be
that cloudy after all!! You can find more terms
associated with cloud computing on the internet. So,
go and find that Silver Lining in the Cloud.
References:
www.techrepublic.com
http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/ h t t p : / / w w w . w e b o p e d i a . c o m / q u i c k _ r e f /
cloud_computing_terms.asp
http://whatiscloud.com/
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Cloud infrastructure services, whereby a virtualized
environment is delivered as a service over the Internet
by the provider. The infrastructure can include
servers, network equipment, and software.
Internal cloud
A type of private cloud whose services are
provided by an IT department to those in its
own organization.
On-demand service
A model by which a
customer can purchase
cloud serv ices as
needed; for instance, if
customers need to
utilize additional
serv ers for the
duration of a project,
they can do so and then
drop back to the
previous level after the
project is completed.
This is another
highlight which makes cloud
services popular.
Platform as a service (PaaS)
Cloud platform services, whereby the computing
platform (operating system and associated services)
is delivered as a service over the Internet by the
provider.
Pay as you go
A pricing model for cloud services that encompasses
both subscription-based and consumption-based
models, in contrast to traditional IT cost model that
requires up-front capital expenditures for hardware
and software.
Private cloud
Services offered over the Internet or over a private
internal network to only select users, not available to
the general public.
Public cloud
Services offered over the public Internet and available
to anyone who wants to purchase the service
(Example: Gmail, Amazon Web Services).
Software as a service (SaaS)
Cloud application services, whereby applications are
delivered over the Internet by the provider, so that the
applications don't have to be purchased, installed, and
run on the customer's computers.
There is no greater joy nor greater reward
than to make a fundamental difference in
someone's life.
- Sr. Mary Rose McGeady
Ashok Rao
can be reached at [email protected]
7 Consultants’ Corner
Platform-as-a-Service: Provides an application
development sandbox and also allows hosting of
applications for access to end-users. It can be used
by enterprises wishing to develop a new application
and also allows them to host their application in the
cloud. It usually includes an operating system,
programming language execution environment.
PaaS is similar to renting out a hotel room. The
enterprise rents a deluxe suite that allows them to
develop a software.
Service-as-a-Service: Provides a business
application used by many individuals or enterprises
concurrently. Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365 are
some of the popular consumer-directed SaaS
applications. One doesn‘t have to worry about
installing the software or setting it up. One can directly
run the application.
SaaS is similar to going to a hotel only for using the
restaurant. You need not rent a room to use the
services provided by the hotel.
A s enterprises look to numer-
ous ways to reduce cost and
increase the value and trust of
their information systems, cloud com-
puting has emerged as an important
platform by offering these enterprises a
potentially less expensive model to
handle their computing needs. Some of
the benefits offered by cloud comput-
ing are optimization of server utilisa-
tion, reduction in CAPEX and short-
ened life cycle development of new
applications.
What is cloud computing?
NIST (US National Institute of Stan-
dards and Technology) defines cloud
computing as a ―model for enabling
convenient, on-demand network ac-
cess to a shared pool of configurable
computing resources that can be rap-
idly provisioned and released with minimal manage-
ment effort or service provider interaction.‖
To put the above definition in a simplified manner, we
can relate cloud computing to a utility service that can
be used on a need basis. Think of renting a room in a
hotel as and when needed based on our requirement.
The hotel owner is the ‗Cloud Service Provider‘ (CSP)
and the enterprise is its client. By using this utility
service, the enterprise needs to pay only for the
service availed by them. This leads to savings in cost
of power, underutilized equipment, maintenance etc.
Cloud computing offers virtual processing power in a
variety of combinations through service delivery
models and deployment models.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service: Provides online
processing or data storage capacity. This is ideal for
enterprises considering a very large one-time
processing project or infrequent large data storage
needs. If the enterprise wants to perform data testing,
it might need a lot of processing power coupled with
very high data storage. For a one-time project as
such, investing in infrastructure might not be a viable
option.
Taking the hotel example, IaaS can be related to the
enterprise renting out the party hall for a one-time
event. The enterprise saves cost by only paying rent
and electricity for the space for the small time period.
Cloud Computing Threats and Assurances
He who learns teaches, he who teaches learns.
- African proverb
contd on next page..
Consultants’ Corner 8
Threat Description Affected service model
IaaS PaaS SaaS
Data breaches In a hybrid cloud deployment, if a cloud service database is not
properly designed, a flaw in one client‘s application could allow
an attacker access to not only that client‘s data but every other
client‘s data.
Data loss Any accidental deletion by the cloud service provider or a physi-
cal catastrophe could lead to permanent loss of enterprise data
unless adequate measures are taken for backup
Account hijacking If an attacker gains access to the enterprise credentials, he can
eavesdrop on its activities and transactions, manipulate data,
redirect users to illegitimate sites. Confidentiality, integrity and
availability of services are compromised.
Insecure interfaces Interface is the main link for interacting with the cloud interface.
From authentication and access control, interface must be
properly secured. These interfaces are key to provide value
added services to the customer.
Denial of Service DOS attacks are meant to prevent users of cloud service from
being able to access their data or applications. Service outages
are critical since, customers are billed based on the space used.
DOS attacks misuse finite resources such as memory, power,
disk space and network bandwidth.
Insufficient due
diligence
Enterprises often jump the cloud computing bandwagon without
proper understanding of the risks involved. Operational
responsibilities are moved to the cloud and they are exposed to
unknown levels of risk. Unless the enterprise has adequate
resources and understands its responsibilities and that of the
cloud service provider, they should reconsider moving to the
cloud.
High Moderate Low
Vinod M
can be reached at [email protected]
Cloud Computing Threats
Cloud computing provides amazing benefits to an
enterprise, however, as with any activity risk element
is inherent in cloud computing.
It presents the same issues as generally found in a
traditional IT world, but it also introduces new threats
and vulnerabilities that may be due to lack of physical
visibility and perceived loss of control over assets and
information.
Assurance in Cloud Computing
Having discussed the threats faced by the enterprises
using cloud computing, the onus is on the cloud
service providers to provide assurance to its
customers regarding the services offered by them.
With shared resourcing, multi tenancy and
geolocation, cloud computing requires an entirely new
approach to providing approach. CSPs need to be
more transparent with their clients regarding the
movement of their data. Assurance needs to be
provided on a real time basis rather than the
traditional methods. The level and type of assurance
must be driven by the type of cloud service offered
and cloud deployment methods followed. CSPs need
a strong risk management approach and they must
balance it with strong performance to meet the user‘s
needs.
Assurance can be provided at various levels by CSPs.
They can adopt international standards such as
COSO, COBIT and ISO. They can also provide
assurances based on specific criteria such as
reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, availability and
confidentiality. The greater the assurance, the more
confidence a client will have on CSP, which results in
increased adoption and deployment of cloud
computing in the industry.
9 Consultants’ Corner
Cloud computing providers are benefitted since
their customer base will increase and the
application developers will move to a cloud based
infrastructure to develop these applications and
provide seamless integration.
Mobile Application Development
The issues with regard to mobile application
development are to build mobile applications that are
applicable to all types of devices. Each and every
device is distinct in terms of the Operating System or
any other unique features. The developers will have to
come up with new mobile applications as and when
the vendors introduce new devices in the market.
The only possibility of solving the above issue is to
move the apps to the servers running in the cloud, in
order to make the same available for the other users.
The users can access the apps and the data available
in the cloud using their browser. Hence one should
understand that the data processing and storage
takes place outside the mobile device and the result
of the processing appears on the screen or from the
speaker of the mobile device. This will be a major
advantage for the mobile app developers as they
need not create individual apps for individual devices.
Few tools that make this work are:
A lot of consumers are switching to smart-
phones as their computing requirement on
the go has increased. Smartphones are now
capable to support a wide variety of applications;
however due to limited power, memory, storage etc.
they are unable to fulfill their potential.
Cloud computing is a facility available that allows us
to process our data outside the realms of the physical
hardware that we possess. Computing takes place in
a virtual environment leading to savings in capital and
operational expenditure. These are two significant
trends in the current period. Imagine if the power
these two combine?
Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) brings together cloud
computing and mobile networks. In MCC the
processing and storage happens outside the mobile
device but the end product is delivered to the mobile
device.
The parties who benefit out of MCC are given in the
figure below:
Mobile users are benefitted since the cloud
performs the computing-intensive tasks and storing
massive amounts of data. They can continue to
perform these tasks with hand held devices and on
the go.
Network operators are benefitted since mobile
users will move to data intensive packages leading
to greater demand and higher profits.
A different language is a different vision of
life.
- Federico Fellini
Mobile Cloud Computing
(MCC)
Beneficiaries
Mobile users Network op-erators
Cloud comput-ing providers
Consultants’ Corner 10
-contd on next page..
Mobile Cloud Computing – Challenges in
the enterprise
Considering the rapid growth in the industry of
mobile devices, the MCC is projected as an
opportunity to any enterprise. However the
enterprise will have to face the following
challenges:
Security – Every enterprise deals with
sensitive data. Hence when a mobile is stolen
or lost or misplaced, crucial data may be
compromised.
Interoperability – Most of the enterprises
follow the Build Your Own Device (BYOD)
policy. Hence the major challenge is in sharing
and receiving the data across various mobile
devices.
Integrity – If the user pulls any document from the
cloud, updates it and forgets to sync it back to the
cloud, another user who retrieves the document
can view only the older version and not the
updated version causing a data integrity risk for the
enterprise as a whole.
Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAP) –
The MEAP ensures that data sent to the mobile
devices from the cloud fits into the receiver‘s
mobile screen. It has a very authenticated mecha-
nism where the data reaches the device and if the
device is stolen or lost, it can be wiped.
HTML5 – It assesses the characteristics of the
device to provide data and automatically gets
adjusted to the size, resolution and other unique
features of the device
TS Eliot
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
Sandya Manohar
can be reached at [email protected]
Opinion Poll Result
Best article in the Dec 13-Jan 14 issue of Consultants’ Corner
The Editorial Team thanks its readers for taking part in this poll.
We request our readers to actively participate in this Opinion
Poll since the annual best article for CC would be selected based
on your votes. Total no. of
votes polled: 14
11 Consultants’ Corner
Process Documentation
5WH approach to Business Process Reengineering
Business Process Mapping
Essentials of a good Business Process Document
What’s up at MaGC?
Birthday wishes
Happy Married Life!!!
Karthik M V of MaGC Bengaluru
office exchanged marital vows with
Nitya Nair on 8th January 2014
Team MaGC wishes the couple a
blissful married life forever.
Mahesh - 3rd Feb Gopal Agarwal - 17th Feb
Karthik M V - 6th March Vinod Murali - 17th Feb
Study Circle Presentation at MaGC
1. Karthik M V conducted a session on ―One person Company‖ on 16th December 2014.
2. Praveena K R conducted a session on ―Agile Methodology - an overview‖ on 20th Dec 2014.
3. Padmaja J conducted a session on ―Nine Money Personalities‖ on 20th January 2014.
1. Coffee houses are places where people hangout. How has a coffee house in Moscow decided to charge its customers? It is becoming a trend now.
2. In marketing, what is Osborne effect ? What is the origin of this term ?
3. Identify the brand with the tagline ―Handcrafted in Chennai‖.
4. Vape is a term increasingly being used and a term in fashion in 2013. What is ‗vape‖ ?
5. What is the newly imposed tax in Italy commonly called ―Google Tax‖?
Send in your answers to the editor at [email protected]
Participants with the correct entry will be awarded with a Recognition Certificate by MaGC.
Last issue answers. 1. Mobile science laboratory which will be taken from school to school in motor cycles to show science experiments; 2. Black Dog; 3. wholly owned subsidiary; 4. A free Laddoo; 5. Zips.
Right answers for the previous
issue quiz was given by
Bhavana R
!!! Congratulations !!!
Chess Tournament
The first ever MaGC Chess Tournament got underway on 04th January 2014 with 24 participants from the
Bangalore office competing for the championship.
We wish all the participants all the very best!!
May the best player win!!
For more details about the fixtures click here and for pictures of the matches click here
Consultants’ Corner 12
Editorial Board
C S Suresh, Executive Director
Ashok Rao, Executive Director
Editors
Sandya M, Consultant
Karthik M V, Consultant
Published by
MaGC Private Limited, Chennai & Bangalore
Email to [email protected]
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